Oprah Winfrey reveals she was called the N-word in vicious backlash following appearance in Ellen DeGeneres' 'coming out episode'

Targeted: Oprah Winfrey, pictured in April, said she was surprised by the explosive reaction

Oprah Winfrey has broken her silence about the vitriol spewed at her after an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' hit 90s sitcom, in which the comedienne came out as gay.
The media mogul, who played DeGeneres' therapist, heard the confession during a 1997 episode that aired in tandem with a very real-life proclamation to the press.
But soon after the clip aired, Winfrey says she was targeted in hateful letters and phone calls from racist viewers.
Winfrey, 58, told The Hollywood Reporter: 'It always turns to race. I got all of the, "N*****, go back to Africa. Who do you think you are?"'
DeGeneres, 54, had kept her sexuality a secret for years until the 'puppy episode', as it was code-named, aired on April 30, 1997.
Scenes show her character, Ellen Morgan, struggling with her sexual orientation - until a sit-down with her therapist finally prompts a confession.
The episode was followed by DeGeneres' Time Magazine cover story, entitled, 'Yep, I'm Gay.'
And with that, an explosive reaction ensued. Producers were subject to death threats and DeGeneres was targeted by angry religious groups; major advertisers, including Chrysler, pulled ads from the show.
Winfrey was shocked.
'I did it because she asked me to do it and I wanted to support her. It didn’t occur to me that there would be a backlash,' she said.
Scroll down for video

The moment of truth: Ellen DeGeneres (as Ellen Morgan) on her eponymous TV sitcom, came out to her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey, in a 1997 episode

Unwavering in her support, Winfrey subsequently interviewed DeGeneres on her own talk show.

Her proclamation: The comedienne came out to Time magazine the week after the episode aired

Recalling the shoot, she said: 'She was pretty emotional that day - kind of tense and not fully herself.'
It’s one thing to be ready to step out, it’s another thing to be ready for the thunderous explosion that occurred after she did.'
Then, and today, Winfrey applauds the bold move by DeGeneres to be open about her sexuality.
She told THR: 'Being able to be free - literally - and to express herself in a way that she can be 100 per cent truthful with the audience has allowed them to fall in love with her.'
'Honest-to-God truth: I don’t believe she would have been as successful as she has become had she not come out.
She explained: 'The reason why people love Ellen so much is because they see themselves in her.
'It’s not about gender or sexual preference.'
Since the episode aired, DeGeneres has married her longtime partner, actress Portia De Rossi.
The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on August 16.

Star support: DeGeneres appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss her experience coming out as a lesbian in November 2009

Happy together: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, pictured in Beverly Hills earlier this month, have been married four years